March 1-7 2023
"World Hearing Day 2023 will highlight the importance of integrating ear and hearing care within primary care, as an essential component of universal health coverage" WHO
Hearing loss affects 4 million Australian and Hearing Awareness Week aims to highlight this to the public to raise awareness of hearing loss and improve ear health care. In many situations checking the ear health of patients forms an integral part of their care, such as newborn checks (especially if they identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin), and having knowledge of where to refer them ultimately improves their care. I would recommend researching and reflecting on where your local audiology services are located and how to refer patient to them.
This week's resources are aimed at clinicians who look after patients with hearing loss or their carers and family.
Deafness Forum Australia
Resources include patient information targeting both adults and children as well as specific information for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. There is also information on hearing loss, events and publications.
World Health Organisation- World Hearing Day
A freely available training manual on Primary ear and hearing care will be launched on World Hearing Day, this was developed by the WHO to improve the knowledge and skills of any clinician delivering ear health care. There are also printable infographics on ear care that can be printed out for patients.
A useful document that goes through the basics of hearing care canbe found at: https://www.deafnessforum.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Ear-and-Hearing-Care-Resource-by-World-Health-Organization-Apr2020.pdf
The Ida Institute
This is a not for profit organisation that was founded in 2007 and it aims to promote hearing health globally. There are excellent resources for clinicians who look after patients who have hearing loss as well as resources for patients. In addition, there are resources specifically for children and teenagers that can be printed and used for counselling.
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